


Don't Swipe Left

by itsbeen20years, MayhemWonder



Category: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Beyblade
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26872642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsbeen20years/pseuds/itsbeen20years, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayhemWonder/pseuds/MayhemWonder
Summary: Don't Swipe Right, from Hitoshi's POV. When Hitoshi opened grindr that day, the last thing he was expecting was swiping right on the one and only Kai.
Relationships: Hiwatari Kai & Kinomiya Hitoshi | Hiro Granger
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Don't Swipe Left

**Author's Note:**

> The other side of the fic that wrote itself on tumblr

Hitoshi Kinomiya had sworn up and down he would never download grindr again. However, a particularly bad breakup followed by four months spent digging in the jungles of Cambodia had put him on the longest dry spell of his existence, hence the first thing he did after landing in London was downloading the damn app and uploading the mandatory sexy chest pictures.

He was busy swiping right on every semi-decent man when a name made him freeze.

Kai

_No. This can’t be…_

But the more he stared at his screen, the more convinced he became that those abs belonged to his former protégé. He recognized that belt. He had spent more time than acceptable wondering what was underneath.

Maybe it was because Kai was already practically an adult when Hitoshi joined the BBA, but he had never managed to see him as Takao’s peer. Kai had mostly been an insufferable spoiled beyblader with a passion for creating drama. Hitoshi was certain Kai had never seen him as an authority figure either.

Insufferable or not, Kai had been blessed by genetics when it came to looks. Could he really be on grindr? Just like that? Accessible?

Hitoshi didn’t hesitate much before swiping right.

A few minutes later, his phone indicated that he had a match.

His heart skipped a beat. Kai had swiped right on him. 

Hitoshi sent him a message.

H: well this is awkward.

K: What a nice way to start a conversation.

_Ok Hitoshi, be careful._ Maybe this wasn’t Kai after all. There was a large East Asian population in London and “Kai” could simply be a Londoner of Chinese or Japanese descent with the same bougie belt. Hitoshi tried to fix his gaffe.

H: sorry. It’s just… I know a guy your age with the same name as you and I was wondering if you were the guy.

K: Hiro. Stop pretending. It’s me.

Hitoshi stared at his screen in disbelief.

Oh Lord. This was Kai. This was really him. He had no idea Kai liked men. Of course, he had heard the rumours, but Hitoshi had dismissed those as “Kai is just such a gorgeous specimen that he can’t possibly be straight” gossips.

H: well this is awkward.

K: Yes.

K: Hi.

H: Hi Kai how are you?

K: Fine I guess.

K: So why did you swipe right?

_Because you’re hot as fuck and I cannot believe you’re actually gay,_ thought Hitoshi.

H: Straight to the point, as usual.

H: I think I was just curious. If it was really you I mean.

K: Yeah, same…

H: And now we matched.

K: We did.

H: Nice pictures btw.

K: Likewise. How much of it is Photoshop?

H: ha.

Truth to be told, Hitoshi had mostly messed around with the light and contrast. Apparently, four months of killing time in the makeshift gym of the campsite had proven efficient.

H: Just a bit. Had to hide the wrinkles here and there ;)

K: What. You’re not that much older than me. Just three years.

_So the age difference doesn’t bother him… Good to know._

H: three years used to be a lot

K: So what are you doing in London? Work?

H: Yes. At the museum, actually.

K: Nice

H: You’re studying, right? Takao told me.

K: Yes. Been living here for two years now.

H: Oh I didn’t know. I visit London maybe twice a year, for work. We could have met earlier :)

Kai didn’t answer. Hitoshi wasn’t sure what to do now. They had matched and from his understanding, Kai wasn’t completely indifferent to his pictures. He started typing.

_“Let’s hang out.”_ No, it sounded like an order.

_“We should hang out, if you want of course”_ Who was he, Kyouju?

_“U free tomorrow?”_ Too… obvious? At the same time, this wasn’t an app to make friends.

H: Wanna hang out some time? :))

Hitoshi pressed the send button and realized too late that his smiley had two smiles.

_Oh no. Now I sound desperate._

Would he fuck Kai? Would he? Of course he would. Any human with two brain cells would.

A few minutes passed and Hitoshi was about to send some sort of awkward goodbye, when his phone buzzed with another message.

K: Sure.

Hitoshi’s eyes widened in disbelief. He was hallucinating. He had caught malaria in the jungle. Had Kai just told him he was down to potentially have sex? Was he?

Better rip that band-aid now.

H: Cool :) Are you free tonight?

Less than a minute after, another message appeared.

K: I can make myself free. What’s your phone number?

Wow, thought Hitoshi.

_I have a date with Kai._

* * *

Hitoshi was not a person who made a big fuss about getting ready for a date. Either his potential partners liked how he looked or they didn’t. Sure, he had learned to abandon his baggy working clothes as soon as he set foot in big cities, because you just get what you want a lot quicker when you look the part. Over time he had found some affordable tailors who would fit his shirts and pants; he had a small amount of decent looking clothes in his London flat as well as in Tokyo and his room in Havana, a city he had fallen in love with and where he spent his time if he wasn’t busy working, despite the rather complicated visa situation. 

So yes, he was prepared. His hair was also cut, because he had met the head of the museum earlier. He found a pair of jeans that were slightly tighter now than before due to the added muscle mass, and a nice shirt that, according to one of his exes, matched nicely with his skin and eyes. 

Despite all this, he felt panicky. Because he would not just meet some random guy that he could bang in the toilets if everything else failed. No. He had a date with Kai Hiwatari. And Kai Hiwatari was expensive. Because he came from a rich family, he only ever got the best of the best. Even his beyblade clothes had been of the nicest material, tailored for his body or at least made by some luxury brand that Hitoshi couldn’t even spell correctly. He had manners. He carried himself in a way that Hitoshi could only dream of. Compared to Kai, he was really just faking it in the hope he would eventually make it somehow. 

What the fuck were they supposed to talk about? Was the place he chose even suitable? He only had thought about whether the pub was LGBTQIA+ friendly, not whether they had nice drinks or quality alcohol in general. But it was close to the City Of London, so it should be okay. 

And speaking of banging… In a last chaotic outburst Hitoshi rushed through his flat and tried to undo the mess that he had created since he had arrived. Put empty cans and food boxes away. Collected dirty clothes and threw them into the washer. Checked if there were still condoms and lube in his nightstand. You never know. He didn’t really believe he would end up taking Kai back to his place. It was impossible, wasn’t it? He told himself not to expect anything. It was Kai, after all. He liked to stir up emotions and leave people behind, yearning for him. 

Finally, Hitoshi was on his way to the pub. He tried not to think too much about what was about to happen. It was ridiculous, really. When was the last time he had been so nervous? 

The thing was, maybe, just maybe, he had been waiting for a moment like this for years. Despite all his drama and his flaws, Kai always had sparked interest in him. With his past relationships, Hitoshi always had gotten bored - but Kai, to him, had never been boring. The thought of meeting him outside the beyblade business - or any business, for that matter - was simply exciting. And no, it didn’t help at all that that man looked like a goddamn work of art. 

Hitoshi was early. How pathetic. He was doomed to sit around and wait, looking like a puppy that someone had left at the side of the street. He glanced at his phone, but of course Kai hadn’t texted anything during the past hour, and he wouldn’t text him, either. That would be even more pathetic. Instead, he went straight to the counter and ordered Whiskey on the rocks. He needed something to calm down. When he emptied the first glass in less than five minutes and immediately ordered a second, the bartender looked at him pitiful. “Rough day?” he asked. 

“It is about to get even rougher,” Hitoshi answered flatly. 

Kai was late. Of course he was. Hitoshi finished his drink, got himself a beer (something to keep his hands occupied with) and went to a somewhat hidden table in a corner. And then Kai was there. 

He immediately caught Hitoshi’s eye. It was a mystery how he did that. He wasn’t by far the tallest person in the room, on the contrary, and his clothes also weren’t that special compared to what some of the bankers were wearing - still, it seemed like people automatically sensed him as soon as he entered a room. While Kai was making his way towards him, Hitoshi watched how several other people checked him out rather obviously. If Kai noticed the stares, he didn’t react to them. 

Their Japanese upbringing saved them from an awkward hug. Instead he smiled at Kai widely, because he knew he had a killer smile. Question was, if it would reach Kai. It didn’t seem like it. 

“Long time no see!” Hitoshi said bravely, “I went ahead and ordered a beer. What do you want?”

“I’ll stick to water for now, thank you,” said Kai, and Hitoshi suppressed a sigh. Here he was, already tipsy from two shots and half a beer, and Kai was stone sober. That couldn’t end well. 

Still, they managed to engage in a somewhat normal conversation. It was surprisingly pleasant, especially when Hitoshi succeeded in teasing Kai a bit here and there. The way the younger one twisted his mouth made Hitoshi stare at his lips shamelessly. God, he wanted to kiss that mouth, and not only that, if he was completely honest with himself. Under the thin fabric of his shirt he could guess the soft curves of his arms. It was a tight shirt as well. 

“How is your water?” he finally asked because by that time he was pretty thirsty himself.

“Refreshing,” Kai answered and there was a glint in his eye, as if he knew exactly what Hitoshi was thinking. He prayed that he didn’t. 

To his surprise, Kai also ordered a beer next. It made Hitoshi relax a bit. He took it as a good sign that Kai “Always In Control” Hiwatari let his guard down with him. 

“No water?” He teased. “Watch out, you might actually have fun if you’re not careful.”

Kai stared at him. “’Fun’ is my middle name.”

Hitoshi tilted his head. If that was Kai’s attempt at being funny, he failed big times. “I coached you for many years, I can confirm that it’s not. You were… such a pain in the ass.”

“And you think you were not?”

He laughed uncomfortably. “You’re still so difficult. Good thing that you’re ridiculously attractive. It makes up for your temper.”

Holy shit, did he really just say that? Hitoshi cursed himself for having started drinking too early. Kai would probably just get up and leave, and yes, he would be disappointed because… This here was nice. Somehow. In a strange way. 

But Kai didn’t leave. He stayed where he was and averted his eyes. And was there… was it the alcohol that made his face look flushed for a second or did Hitoshi’s blatant flirting do that to him? God, this guy was such a tease.

He didn’t know what to say next, so they just sat in silence, sipping their drinks. From time to time their eyes met, and everytime that happened Hitoshi felt a tingling. Was that a hint of a smirk in the corners of Kai’s mouth or was he hallucinating now? Nevertheless, he smiled back. 

“Nevermind, I’ve got it,” he said when Kai reached for his wallet as they had finished. While Hitoshi was taking care of the bill, his mind began to race. If he couldn’t come up with something smart now, this would be it. Two beers and a round of awkward conversation. The closest he would ever come to being intimate with Kai Hiwatari. 

Shit. His mind was blank. 

“I suppose we won’t be going back to your place,” he said as they were standing next to each other, ready to leave. Kai said nothing for a while. He seemed deep in thought. 

“We won’t be going back to my place,” he confirmed then.

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

“I see,” said Hitoshi. And then he felt how Kai’s hand gently touched his forearm, and it felt like fire on his skin and in his stomach. 

“Where do you live?”

* * *

_Kai Hiwatari had just agreed to go home with me._

This was the sentence that ran over and over in Hitoshi Kinomiya’s mind during the taxi ride to his place.

Kai had agreed to go home with him and if everything went smoothly, in an hour of two they would be having sex.

_Holy shit_

Hitoshi wasn’t inexperienced when it came to casual encounters, but normally he picked more laid-back dudes, guys he seduced with his smile and stories of his trips abroad, just like a gayer Indiana Jones.

Kai was in an entirely different league.

They spent the taxi ride in silence. Kai wasn’t the easiest person to have a conversation with. What did even interest him, aside from beyblading? Books? Music? Business? Businessmen?

Hitoshi feared if he started to list fun facts about the Angkor Wat temples, Kai would jump out of the taxi. So Hitoshi didn’t speak at all, hoping the sex would be worth it.

They finally arrived at Hitoshi’s place.

“How did you find your flat?” Kai asked, his first words in more than thirty minutes.

“I’m subletting, actually”, Hitoshi answered. He wondered where Kai lived. Maybe he was in a dorm and couldn’t have people over.

Hitoshi opened his front door and got hit by how empty his place looked. He hoped Kai wouldn’t care.

Kai stopped in the entrance and Hitoshi almost bumped into him. He got close enough to get a pleasant glimpse of his scent.

He wondered if his skin tasted the same.

“I have more beer, if you want another drink”, Hitoshi offered, and Kai finally took a few steps further into the flat and took his shoes off. 

“It’s nice”, Kai said, “Not much bigger than my flat.”

Hitoshi couldn’t decide whether this was a courteous lie or a simple observation.

Hitoshi let Kai look around while he took two beers bottles out of the fridge. He briefly wondered if he should offer something stronger, but decided against it.

Now that he was back home, he felt more comfortable. Kai following him here felt surreal, but Kai wasn’t a doormat. Kai was in control of his actions, always. He wouldn’t have agreed to this out of politeness.

Hitoshi unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. He hoped they would venture into more exciting territories soon. He didn’t have the energy to keep up the small talk for much longer.

Kai was sitting uncomfortably on his couch, as if still deciding if Hitoshi was worth fucking or not. Hitoshi chuckled. Kai was someone you could bring home and he still behaved as if he hadn’t quite made his mind about the rest of the evening. 

The charisma this guy had. The audacity. 

Both unnerving and exciting.

Hitoshi handed him a beer. “Cheers. And, uh, thanks for the company.”

“Well, thanks for swiping right, I guess.”

Hitoshi laughed softly. “So what do you wanna do?”

“Well…,” Kai said, looking at his bottle, “I think I want to drink my beer.”

Fair enough. Maybe Kai was nervous too. After all, a few hours ago, ‘Hitoshi Kinomiya’ was probably only a distant memory to him.

Hitoshi leaned back. “Fine with me. In that case, I will just stare at you a little longer.” 

Kai let out a surprised huff and the sound made Hitoshi smile. Over the course of the evening, Hitoshi had noticed that Kai was used to being admired, but still reacted when hit on purposefully. Interesting.

They stared at each other. “You know,” Kai teased, “If you like to look at me so much you could just print out those profile pictures you already have.” 

_Yes, but it’s easier to imagine you naked when you’re moving._

Hitoshi chose to retort in the same tone. “Good point, actually. After all, these biceps were created by my training routine.”

They gently exchanged jabs for a few minutes and Hitoshi felt a warmth under his navel when Kai confirmed he didn’t use Photoshop at all. Kai seemed more at ease, now. They talked old times and training. Hitoshi wasn’t even trying to hide his staring and he was pretty sure Kai’s intense stare on him wasn’t innocent anymore.

Finally, when Hitoshi was ranting about Takao and Kai’s dynamic, he probably said something funny because Kai’s face lightened up and he laughed. It was such a rare sight. Kai was striking when he smiled. Hitoshi forgot the rest of his story.

“Finally” Hitoshi said, “You’re laughing.”

Kai blinked, but kept smiling. 

Hitoshi saw his chance. He leaned over, and brushed his lips on his.

The first seconds, Kai did nothing. Then, as Hitoshi was about to step back, Kai suddenly relaxed, grabbed his shirt, pulled him closer, and deepened the kiss.

It wasn’t a soft kiss, but it wasn’t aggressive either. And it wasn’t as awkward as Hitoshi had feared. It was just good.

As good as he had hoped it would be.

Hitoshi had missed this kind of intimacy. The near half-year of abstinence weighed painfully on him. A poignant urgency to feel his skin on his suddenly struck him.

_Now, my turn to know if you lied about the Photoshop, Hiwatari._

Kai apparently was in the same mood, because he unbuttoned Hitoshi’s shirt with practiced hands and tossed it on the floor. Then, he removed his own shirt and gave it a similar treatment.

Hitoshi slid his hands across Kai’s shoulders. His skin felt burning hot under his fingertips. He was vaguely aware that Kai had slid a hand on his stomach, reaching for his belt.

This was too quick. Hitoshi had earned this. He got through every stupid hoop, the least this insufferable boy could do was let him enjoy the moment.

They needed to slow down.

Htoshi broke the kiss at the same moment that Kai attempted to pull on his belt. The result saw Hitoshi losing his balance and he put a foot on the ground to regain it.

A sudden shattering sound made them both jump.

Hitoshi’s foot had accidentally kicked the coffee table, sending Kai’s bottle crashing against the floor, where it broke, soaking the carpet in beer.

“Fuck!” Hitoshi yelled, embarrassed. “My bad, I’ll clean up.”

Hitoshi frantically started cleaning up the mess with a bath towel. Kai didn’t move.

_Fuckfuckfuck. Why now?_

Kai then slowly crouched next to him and started picking up the broken bottle and tossing the pieces the trash. His face had regained his neutral expression.

“Sorry about that”

Kai didn’t answer anything.

Hitoshi was finally able to get a good sight of Kai.

He wasn’t disappointed. The man was a work of art.

“I’ll get you another one,” mechanically said Hitoshi, still staring at his guest.

Kai turned his eyes to him. A smirk crept on his face.

“Hitoshi. Don’t bother. It’s not as if I was going to finish it anyway.”

“I guess.”

Kai rose up and sighed. “Let’s just go to your bed.”

Hitoshi didn’t need to be told twice.

“Ok”

* * *

Two hours later they were finally able to stop. Hitoshi lay on his back, still naked, and stared at the ceiling. Kai was right next to him. He heard his steady breathing, felt the warmth radiating from him. 

He wanted to say something. Didn’t know what.

Kai sighed. “That was…” He trailed off.

Hitoshi just nodded. After a rather awkward start, sleeping with Kai had been better than he had hoped. Instinctively he licked his lips, which tasted a little salty. It was as if he could still feel Kai’s mouth all over his body, taking in every inch of skin, working his way down without hesitating even once. He pictured Kai on top of him, the perfect position for Hitoshi to see, feel, taste everything. And the sounds that had come from him, sounds that one would never associate with somebody like Kai Hiwatari. At that moment Hitoshi had been sure that Kai needed it as much as he did. He wondered how long he had not been touched like that. Still, Kai was demanding, and he didn’t even need to verbalize his wishes. His gaze had been like a silent order. An order to not hold back. It turned out that Kai was open to getting tough after an extensive foreplay. 

And now they were both completely exhausted. It had been ages since Hitoshi had felt this calm, this…satisfied. He turned his head to look at Kai, opened his mouth but stopped himself when he saw that his companion had closed his eyes. Did he fall asleep? Slowly, he turned around completely to face Kai, and raised his hand to touch him. His skin was still warm and a little wet.

“Hiro… stop that. You’re sweaty. That’s gross.” 

He smiled. “We could go take a shower.” 

Kai’s eyes opened again. Another sigh, then he sat up slowly. “I should go.”

Hitoshi would lie if he said he didn’t understand. Of course Kai didn’t want to stay. They had had sex. Nothing more. Still, he was disappointed. Maybe he had hoped to bribe him with a cup of coffee and a blowjob (or even more) in the morning, or maybe he just wanted to keep his company a little longer.

“You know that you can stay, right?” he asked. It was worth a try. But Kai was already standing and looking for his clothes. Admittedly, Hitoshi enjoyed the sight. He wondered if he should sneak a photo, just as a souvenir of sorts. But he didn’t even know where his phone was. 

A few minutes passed before Kai joined him again. He was wearing his shirt and pants and sat down on the bed to put on his socks. Hitoshi didn’t bother to cover himself up. He actually wanted that shower. 

“You’ve probably heard that before,” he said while watching Kai, “but you’re really hot.”

A frown. “Uh, thanks.” He looked like he was about to say something as well, but then he stayed silent.

“If you want to say I have a great dick, go for it,” Hitoshi offered. Kai rolled his eyes, but he smiled, and Hitoshi felt like he had accomplished something. Then Kai looked him in the eyes. “Nice dick,” he said. 

“Thank you. I worked long and hard for it.” 

“Long and hard, I see…” Kai stood up and went over to the kitchen counter where he had put his phone. 

“Ten minutes,” he informed him after he had swiped around on the display for a while. 

Leisurely Hitoshi got up as well and strolled over to the kitchen. He wouldn’t let Kai get away that easily. “That’s more than enough time,” he said.

“For what?” 

Instead of answering, Hitoshi trapped Kai between his body and the counter and kissed him again. The younger one wasn’t that much smaller than him, and if he had wanted to he would have been able to push him away. But he didn’t. Instead, Hitoshi could feel Kai’s hands on his waist, and his warm body beneath the fabric of his shirt. He reached up to put his hands around Kai’s face and deepen the kiss, playfully sliding his tongue between his lips. But then, after a few long minutes, Kai broke the kiss first. “You’re still sweaty and gross,” he said, “and I have to leave now.” 

A few hours later Hitoshi woke up in his bed. Still naked, but showered. He briefly wondered if it all just had been a very wet, very crazy dream, but then he found a condom wrap right next to his pillow and knew that it had been very, very real. And then he couldn’t stop grinning. 

Only when he sat on his sofa, a cup of coffee in hand, did it hit him: This wouldn’t happen again, right? It was a one-time thing, and officially nothing had ever happened between him and Kai. Even if they would meet again for some Beyblade thing, they would act as if they had forgotten about last night. He sighed. Yes, he could imagine Kai doing that. Also, it was him who had asked Kai not to tell Takao anything. 

But he still had his number. And this was London, not Japan. They were so far away from everybody else they both knew… 

Hitoshi pulled his phone from his pocket, but hesitated. He would seem desperate. But honestly, he probably was. And it was even more desperate to text Kai in six months, when he would come back - because who texted their one night stand first thing after setting foot in the town? That was just pathetic. 

He unlocked the phone and started typing. 


End file.
